4 Yankees in danger of losing playing time when rosters expand in September

After a sea of change at the July 31 trade deadline, which saw the New York Yankees make a total of eight trades, the month of August is the time for all the new pieces to settle in and for everyone to find their footing before the next seismic roster shift: September roster expansion.

For some players, this is their last chance to prove they're worthy of their current roles, and failure to do so could mean a reduction in playing time, either as better options become available or as youngsters push them out in a bid to get their feet wet.

These four Yankees players are in jeopardy of losing playing time when rosters expand in September

Outfielder Jasson Dominguez

While it's a small sample, it seems as if Jasson Dominguez's role being reduced is already underway. The 22-year-old switch-hitter didn't get the start for three straight games in the series against the Minnesota Twins, marking the first time all season he's been held out of three contests in a row.

The curious part is that in all three matchups, it was a right-hander taking the bump for the Twins. Dominguez has drawn criticism all year for his inability to hit lefties (with a .560 OPS), but he's routinely handled righties, posting an above-average .774 mark against them. So why was he riding the pine?

There are a couple of reasons. One, he's been a defensive liability with a -8 DRS on the season. Two, the Aaron Judge injury has forced Giancarlo Stanton to take the field, necessitating that he be supported with the superior defense that Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham provide in the other two outfield spots.

September will further crowd the outfield depth chart, spelling bad news for Dominguez. Austin Slater will return from injury, though Slater's role as a left-handed pitching masher won't directly impact Dominguez. It will have a trickle-down effect, with Bellinger and/or Grisham likely sitting against lefties in favor of Slater, then later making up those missed at-bats against righties at Dominguez's expense. Furthermore, should top prospect Spencer Jones get the call, that will bring yet another potent left-handed bat into the fold to erase Dominguez's playing time.

All of this isn't to say that it's time to write the Martian off yet, just that his pathway toward regular playing time will be much more narrow come September.

Reliever Devin Williams

After terrorizing Yankee fans in his two appearances against the Texas Rangers and first outing against the Houston Astros, Devin Williams has settled in with a surprisingly potent string of appearances, a few of which have come in moderate leverage (the Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball?!).

Still, the Yankees (should) know at this point that they can't count on Williams, and while they likely won't take bold action regarding the struggling reliever in August, it will be easy to hide him on the bench once rosters expand in September.

Fernando Cruz has returned, and Ryan Yarbrough is wrapping up a rehab assignment, signaling his imminent return. A plethora of other arms, including some with big league experience like Ian Hamilton, will come up in September and cycle through to keep people fresh. That's going to make for a crowded equation in lower leverage situations where Williams currently lives, and the array of options that will be available to Aaron Boone will allow him to keep the struggling former star closer off the mound, much to fans' delight.

Catcher Austin Wells

Like Jasson Dominguez, the writing is already on the wall for the scuffling Austin Wells. The 26-year-old never found his groove this season, but he's been especially atrocious of late, with a putrid .514 OPS so far in August.

That has led to slugger Ben Rice getting more opportunities behind the plate, and while first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's sore knee kept the soon-to-be 38-year-old out of the lineup for a bit, the Yankees can still use him more often than not as they manage him, with Rice behind the dish.

A Spencer Jones call-up could create a domino effect where the mammoth prospect takes over in the outfield, shifting Cody Bellinger to first, which in turn would allow Rice to stay behind the dish as long as his defense can hold up, spelling Goldschmidt down the stretch.

Speaking of defense, the potential September return of J.C. Escarra to the big league roster could also eat into Wells' playing time. The Yankees are committed to Wells long-term. Over the last seasons, they've emptied out their minor-league catching depth in deadline deals, showing their belief in the former top prospect. But for the time being, a reduced role would make sense for all involved, and the Yankees will have the pieces to make it all fit together without Wells in the lineup on a regular basis.

Reliever Mark Leiter Jr.

Like Devin Williams, Mark Leiter Jr. could see his playing time cut as a glut of arms return to and join the roster. While Leiter Jr. has avoided any major implosions recently (save for a hilariously WTF Jacob Young grand slam), his long-established track record of performance not matching up with the peripherals has made fans uneasy every time he takes the mound.

The aforementioned returns of Cruz and Yarbrough will give the Yankees other options in these middle-innings situations, and ultimately, the logical solution is to simply go with the hot hand. Given how Leiter Jr. hasn't proven capable of putting together sustained runs of satisfactory performance, it's likely someone else will begin to eat up what used to be his innings.